New developments in smartphone apps for fertility monitoring

Timing is everything when it comes to conceiving. If you are not having sex regularly (at least 3 times a week) or your partner has irregular cycles, it can take longer to fall pregnant. This is why many people turn to fertility calendars and other systems to help couples determine the best time to try for a baby.

Recently there has been a surge in smartphone apps for fertility monitoring. As expected, these apps are aimed at monitoring the signs of ovulation in women. However, there is even a new app which includes men. It’s expected that more smartphone apps for fertility monitoring for men will hit the market next year.

In the meantime, we have listed 5 of the most popular smartphone apps for fertility monitoring; including the number one male app.

Of all the smartphone apps for fertility monitoring, Glow is currently the only one that’s male and orientated. It is designed to keep track of reproductive health for both men and women. Until recently, Glow focused only of female fertility. This is easier to monitor than male fertility.

However, there are certain lifestyle factors that will affect how fertile a man is. This app assess these influences to provide an overview of how healthy male sperm is at a given time. It’s important to keep in mind that it does take three months for sperm to fully mature. During this time there are various factors which can either increase or decrease fertility.

Glow’s app enables men to log daily lifestyle activities such as medications, alcohol intake, weight, sex habits, and direct heat source exposure (such as electric blankets and saunas). This data is then analysed and the app then provides a ‘fertility update’.

Basically Glow will inform men if there are certain lifestyle practices that they should avoid if they are trying for a baby. For example, reduce alcohol intake, stop using lubricants, or increase nightly sleep. The app will provide tips for helping to improve fertility on a day-to-day basis. While it can’t guarantee positive changes, it does allow men to gain a greater insight into how their lifestyle affects their fertility.

One of the more popular free smartphone apps. for fertility monitoring, the Period Tracker helps women to keep a close eye on their cycle. Users simply push a button at the start of their period and the app will track dates and forecast the start of the next menstrual cycle. The app also tracks symptoms, moods and the most fertile days. This app is particularly appealing because it is very easy to use and interpret. Extra features are available on the Deluxe version for approximately £1.28.

Baby Planner (iPhone) £1.99

An attractive looking app, Baby Planner for iPhone users tracks periods and calculates the most fertile days. It also enables users to keep a watch on weight, basal body temperature, mood and other symptoms.

It is particularly popular because it has a feature which allows users to predict whether they are likely to conceive a boy or a girl depending on when they try to conceive. Although this may be a fun feature, it’s important to remember that these sorts of predictions are just in jest and should not be taken seriously. There is no scientific evidence that the timing of sex or the sexual position can actually influence the sex of a baby.

Another period tracking and predicting calendar, My Days is a free app available on both Android and iPhone. Like other smartphone apps. for fertility monitoring, this app can help women narrow down the time when they are ovulating.

This free Android app. records cycle symptoms and uses the data to evaluate and chart fertility. Users can record basal body temperature, menses, cervical mucus symptoms, weight, appetite, PMS, and other common symptoms.

Summary

Smartphone apps for fertility monitoring are all basically designed to do the same thing. Analysing user imputed data; these apps calculate the best times to try for a baby. While tracking and predicting male fertility is more challenging compared with female fertility, the Glow app. is a good start.

For women, the best choice of smartphone apps for fertility monitoring is all a matter of personal preference. Ideally the more information that can be analysed within the app, then the more accurate the results. Ease of use should also be taken into consideration.

There are always new apps being released and upgrades for existing apps are readily available. The best advice is to try a few different smartphone apps for fertility monitoring and see which one is most appealing.